Lautoconus pelagicus (Brocchi, 1814)

Figs 17 J, 19A1–A4

Conus pelagicus nob.— Brocchi 1814: 289, pl. 2, fig. 9.

[ Chelyconus] [ Conus] Mariae n. f.— Hoernes 1878a: 195 (nomen nudum).

C. [onus] Mariae — Hoernes 1878b: 207 (nomen nudum).

Conus (Chelyconus) Mariae nov. form.— Hoernes & Auinger 1879: 49, pl. 6, fig. 7.

Conus (Chelyconus) vindobonensis var. mariae (Hoernes und Auinger 1879)—Kojumdgieva in Kojumdgieva & Strachimirov 1960: 213, pl. 50, fig. 6.

Conus (Chelyconus) mariae Hoernes et Auinger, 1879 — Hinculov 1968: 150, pl. 37, figs 17a–b.

Conus vindobonensis mariae (Hoernes et Auinger) — Ionesi & Nicorici 1994: 62, pl. 5, fig. 8.

Varioconus pelagicus (Brocchi, 1814) — Landau et al. 2013: 247, pl. 39, figs 6–7, pl. 41, fig. 14, pl. 42, fig. 8, pl. 82, figs 1–2.

Varioconus pelagicus (Brocchi, 1814) — Kovács & Vicián 2013: 87, figs 131–137.

non Conus pelagicus Brocc. —Hörnes 1851: 31, pl. 3, figs 4a–d [= Lautoconus ventricosus (Gmelin, 1791)].

Type material. Lectotype (following ICZN Article 74.6) stored in the Museo Civico di Storia Naturale di Milano, Catalogue number 4668, Piacentino, Italy, Pliocene; illustrated in Pinna & Spezia (1978; pl. 18, fig. 4).

The type locality of Conus mariae Hoernes & Auinger, 1879, which is considered to be a junior synonym of C. pelagicus, is the middle Miocene locality Bujtur in Romania.

Studied material. 1 spec. NHMW 1861 /0035/0004, Bujtur (Romania), illustrated in Hoernes & Auinger (1879, pl. 6, fig. 7); 2 spec . NHMW 1868 /0001/0387, Lăpugiu de Sus (Romania) .

Illustrated material. Figs 19A 1 –A4, 17J: Bujtur (Romania): SL: 53.6 mm, MD: 24.9 mm, NHMW 1861 /0035/ 0 0 0 4, illustrated in Hoernes & Auinger (1879, pl. 6, fig. 7).

Revised description. Medium-sized, biconical, solid, glossy shells with high conical spire; early spire whorls probably tuberculate; spire whorls flat to weakly convex, not striate; suture narrow but deeply impressed, almost canaliculated. Subsutural flexure shallow, moderately curved, moderately asymmetrical; last spire whorl weakly concave; indistinct angulation on shoulder; last whorl slightly ventricose, constricted at base. No spiral sculpture except for several spiral cords on base. Aperture moderately narrow. Siphonal fasciole strongly swollen, convex, twisted; inner lip narrow, straight; siphonal canal moderately long, reflected. Colour pattern under UV light consisting of flammulae on shoulder and spire and irregularly spaced short dashes on the entire last whorl, forming three broad bands separated by two fluorescing bands.

Shell measurements and ratios. Three specimens are available: largest specimen SL: 57.6 mm, MD: 28.2 mm, spire angle: 82/85/83°, last whorl angle: 33/35/32, LW: 2.04/2.09/2.15, RD: 0.59/0.59/0.56, PMD: 0.86/0.88/ 0.91, RSH: 0.17/0.18/0.17; spire angle: 95°, last whorl angle: 37°; second specimen: SL: 50.4 mm, MD: 25.2 mm, LW: 2.0, RD: 0.64, PMD: 0.85, RSH: 0.22.

Discussion. Differs from the somewhat similar Conus s.l. posticestriatus (Kojumdgieva in Kojumdgieva & Strachimirov 1960) by the absence of any spiral grooves on the spire whorls, the constricted base and the reflected siphonal canal. Hall (1894) and Landau et al. (2013) synonymized Conus mariae Hoernes & Auinger, 1879 with Lautoconus pelagicus (Brocchi, 1814), which is followed herein.

Lautoconus pelagicus was also reported from the Vienna Basin by Hörnes (1851, pl. 3, fig. 4). Later, Hoernes & Auinger (1879) recognized this specimen as a recent Conus mediterraneus Hwass in Bruguière, 1792 [= Lautoconus ventricosus (Gmelin, 1791)]. Although Sacco (1893b) was aware of that statement by Hoernes & Auinger (1879), he doubted that the question was solved and introduced Conus (Chelyconus) pelagicus incertula as new variation name. The specimen is still stored in the GBA collection (GBA 1856/0004/0002). Preservation and colour pattern reveal this specimen as a Recent shell, as supposed by Hoernes & Auinger (1879); moreover, the preservation mode differs completely from the fossil shells from Baden, which is given as the locality on the label. Consequently, Conus incertula Sacco, 1893b is a subjective junior synonym of Lautoconus ventricosus .

The species was discussed again by Hall (1966) by synonymising also Plagioconus lapugyensis (Hoernes & Auinger, 1879) with Lautoconus pelagicus . In addition, Kovács & Vicián (2013) and Landau et al. (2013) treated Conus suessi Hoernes & Auinger (2013) as a junior synonym of L. pelagicus . Both synonymizations are rejected herein [see discussions on Plagioconus lapugyensis (Hoernes & Auinger, 1879) and Leporiconus suessi (Hoernes & Auinger, 1879)].

Paleoenvironment. The occurrences in the Turkish Karman Basin suggest shallow marine environments.

Distribution in Paratethys. Badenian (middle Miocene): Vienna Basin: Gainfarn (Austria), Mikulov- Kienberk, Hrušovany (Czech Republic) (Hoernes & Auinger 1879); Eisenstadt-Sopron Basin: Forchtenau (Austria) (Sieber 1956); Pannonian Basin: Letkés (Hungary) (Kovács & Vicián 2013); Transylvanian Basin: Lăpugiu de Sus, Bujtur (Romania) (Hoernes & Auinger 1879); Buzău Basin: Valea Muscel (Romania) (Ionesi & Nicorici 1994); Caransebeş-Mehadia Basin: Calvei (Romania) (Hinculov 1968); Dacian Basin: Opanec (Bulgaria) (Kojumdgieva & Strachimirov 1960).

Proto-Mediterranean Sea and north eastern Atlantic. Burdigalian (early Miocene): Turin Hills (Italy) ; Langhian (middle Miocene): Aquitaine Basin (France); Serravallian (middle Miocene): Karaman Basin (Turkey); Tortonian (late Miocene): Po Basin (Italy); early Pliocene: western Mediterranean, Estepona Basin (Spain), central Mediterranean (Italy) ; late Pliocene: central Mediterranean (Italy) (see Landau et al. 2013 for details).